The Effects of Cocaine on Behavior - Research Paper Example

The Effects of Cocaine on Behavior Drug addiction has been one of the strongest vices affecting the society on a global scale, and it has led to the destruction of millions of lives worldwide. Though most narcotics were originally developed with the intention of helping others and were used for medical purposes, their illegal use has continued to grow over the years as the black market discovered its potential value on the streets and thus made it available to communities through drug dealers who serve as the middle men in this illegal supply chain. Governments have tried their best to battle this vice and remove it from the streets, but the war on drugs can never truly be won until the potential users decide not to use it for as long as there is a demand there will always be sources to supply the product (Feiling, 2009). The best solution is to spread the negative effects that drug abuse has on users so that potential users are aware of what they are getting into in a bid to discourage them from the practice (Aronson, 2008). One of the most popularly abused drugs is Cocaine. This is a drug that is obtained from the use of the coca plant and is developed for medicinal purposes, such as appetite suppression and anesthetic purposes, but it can also be found on the streets where it is sold for pleasure purposes as it is a strong mental stimulus as well. The use of cocaine for non medical purposes is frowned upon in almost every part of the world, and it is illegal to produce, distribute, possess or use this drug without the permission of the government. The handling of this drug holds high penalties such as long sentences that may even include life terms in prison, but this has not effectively stopped the spread its illegal use around the world due its highly addictive nature. Cocaine takes different amounts of time to hook people onto it, but the result is the same for all its users, and they all finally become dependent on the drug and are unable to properly function without it in their system. Users of cocaine experience a type of euphoria after its intake that they refer to as “a high” and it is the reason that individuals take it (Doweiko, 2008). Scientific studies have discovered that the cause of this euphoria is due to the prevention of a neurotransmitter known as serotonin from being reabsorbed by the neuron that released it, known as the presynaptic neuron. The way that cocaine works is that it stops the reuptake of a number of neurotransmitters, for example, epinephrine and norepinephrine, causing them to stay in the individuals synapses for a longer period of time and exciting the sympathetic nervous system in the process (Yaffe, Briggs & Freeman, 2008). The excitement of the sympathetic nervous system brings about a stress response which results in the euphoria that is experienced by the individual. Though the euphoria that is experienced by the user may be enjoyable during that moment in time, the end results are in no way healthy for the individual, and the temporary pleasure that is experienced is not worth the long term effects that the person risks suffering (Doweiko, 2008). There are numerous effects that the use of cocaine has on an individual, and these effects can be classified into two categories, namely immediate and long term effects. Immediate effects refer to the reactions that occur right after one uses the drugs while the long term effects refer the responses that a person may have further down the line as a result of using the drug for a lengthy period of time (Yaffe, Briggs & Freeman, 2008). Both effects (immediate and long term) influence the behavior of the user, and differences can be seen in their actions and personality as the drug takes over their mental faculties and emotional stability as well. The drug takes its effects on various parts of the body and can lead to medical conditions that put the individual’s life in jeopardy (Yaffe, Briggs & Freeman, 2008). Short Term Effects of Cocaine on Its Users Tooth grinding – this can be classified as an involuntary reaction, and the individual does not even realize that they are doing it most of the time. This occurs during the time that the individual experiencing the sense of euphoria and can be sued as a means of identifying whether a person has taken the drug or not. It should be noted that this side effect is not present in all users and thus cannot be determined as a major means of recognition of people who are taking the drug. This tooth grinding is referred to as bruxism and lead to the deterioration of the enamel resulting in gingivitis (Yaffe, Briggs & Freeman, 2008). Increased temperature – This is a more popular side effect in comparison to tooth grinding. Many individuals begin to feel like it is unbearably hot and are prompted to take off the clothes they are wearing in a bid to cool off (Yaffe, Briggs & Freeman, 2008). Some individual may be tempted to take cold showers/baths when this happens which can actually be dangerous as it is not advisable for one to be around slippery and wet surfaces when they are not in full control of their faculties since they may slip and fall, hitting their head in the process which can be deadly. The increased temperature is due to a heightened metabolism rate in an individual who has taken the drug resulting in the release of energy in the form of heat from the body (David, 2005) Paranoia – An individual who is high on cocaine may also become extremely paranoid of their surroundings as the drugs take effect. This effect can be recognized by the development of a highly suspicious nature by the individual leading him to extremes. It can be literally hiding from imaginary enemies that they are convinced are after them despite the number of reassurances they are given: they doubt other individuals’ motives despite the relationship they have with that person. Paranoia can be observed in simple things like refusing to answer the door in the fear that it may be a trap despite recognizing the voice that is calling out to them. Anxiety and restlessness – This is also another popular effect of cocaine users when they are high on the drug. This is as a result of increased alertness in the individual after taking the drug (Yaffe, Briggs & Freeman, 2008). The user suddenly becomes aware of everything that is happening around them due to heightened senses, and this may cause them to be unable to relax. There is also increased brain activity in some individuals, meaning the heightened thought processes fill their minds with activities that they have not done or they should do leading to the restlessness as they switch from one activity to another being unable to focus on one particular act. These effects occur when an individual has taken cocaine; they do not last after the drug has worn off. They can also be referred to as cocaine intoxication when referring to the immediate effects that the use of the drug has on the body (Aronson, 2008). Aside from the mentioned effects that cocaine has on an individual, some of the more common side effects that occur in most users are an increased feeling of wellbeing that leaves one satisfied with life in general and a heightened sense of sexual vigor. There is also an increased level of energy that makes a user feel like s/he is able to do anything that s/he wants though this is mostly due to an increased level of adrenaline within the body (Aronson, 2008). Long Term Effects of Cocaine Use on Its Users Prolonged use of the substance also has side effects that affect an individual’s behavior, and it should be noted that these are more damaging than the short term effects produced by immediate usage thus proving that the longer an individual uses the drug the worse the effects. Some of the long term effects of cocaine use on an individual include: Itching – This is not the normal type of scratching sensation that affords one relief after they indulge it, but a continuous sensation that does not ease no matter how much a person scratches. This may lead to the development of skin problems due to the continuous scratching that may lead to breakage of the skin that may result to infections if the wounds are not treated properly. The itching sensation is caused by a deprivation of the drug for a long period; it is one of the indications that an individual’s body has developed a dependency on the drug (Volpe, 2008). Tachycardia – This is a medical condition where an individual experiences an increased heart rate level and can also be caused by the improper use of cocaine. Generally, a person experiencing a heart rate that is above 100 beats per minute is said to be suffering from Tachycardia though there are different rates for different ages that have been accepted by the medical sector in determining whether an individual is suffering from the condition or not (David, 2005). Tachycardia can be quite dangerous depending on the rate (speed) as well as the kind of rhythm that the heart is beating in, and if not treated quickly, it may border on life threatening. This is because when the heart beats too fast, it is not able to function efficiently, and as a result, it produces less blood to other parts of the body including the heart itself which may lead to heart related complications (David, 2005). Hallucinations – A hallucination can be described as a perception that takes place in an individual without the aide of a stimulus that occurs during a conscious state (meaning when a person is awake) (David, 2005). In simple terms, a hallucination can be described as the act of an individual seeing something that is not really there though it seems as real as possible to the individual experiencing the hallucination (Tom, 2009). This is also another long term effect of cocaine use and can lead to a number of dangerous results if not kept in check including the development of mental disorders or life endangerment in situations where a person is not fully aware of their surroundings and may put themselves in a precarious situation in an attempt to rectify the imaginary position that they visualize they are in. For example, one may get hit by a vehicle while running across a busy highway from an imaginary enemy that is supposedly chasing them with murderous intentions (Tom, 2009). Hallucinations can occur in different forms and affect different senses of an individual including visual (seeing things), auditory (hearing things) or even olfactory (smelling things) where someone perceives things that do not exist. Apart from the above mentioned areas that can be affected, one may also get a certain feeling, for example, of being watched where though they cannot see anything to prove their suspicions the sense is so strong that they believe that it must be true. Hallucinations can occur when a person is high from cocaine or as part of the withdrawal symptoms that they experience from not taking it for lengthy periods of time after developing a dependency on the drug and can lead to violent outbursts that endanger the individual and the people surrounding them (Tom, 2009). Paranoid delusions – This effect is somewhat similar to hallucinations with one difference. Whereas in hallucinations an individual experiences perceptions that are not really there, paranoid delusions work with perceptions that truly exist but with an added significance to the individual that is not accurate. For example, one may see people talking to one another and due to the paranoid delusions believe that they are talking ill about them or hatching a plot for their downfall. The existence of the perception (that is, people talking to one another) is real; however, the reason for their communication is utterly false, and the delusion affects the situation. Delusions are just as bad as hallucinations and may also lead to violent outbursts or the individual putting themselves in situations that may endanger their lives as well as those of others. The delusions may also occur during the usage of cocaine or afterwards as a withdrawal symptom as well (Tom, 2009). Withdrawal symptoms refer to the behaviors of an individual who has developed a dependency for the drug but has not used it for a long period leading to a physical as well as psychological reaction from the body. Withdrawal symptoms can also account as effects of cocaine use and apart from the earlier mentioned signs include symptoms such as agitation where an individual is easily angered by small things with little significance. In such situations, the smallest thing is enough to set the individual off such as the inability to find something they have misplaced and may lead to exaggerated reactions such as violent or emotional outbursts (Tom, 2009). A person may also develop insomnia as a result of withdrawal whereby a person is unable to sleep without the help of heavy medication, no matter how tired they may be. Those who do not suffer from insomnia may experience frequent nightmares whenever they go to sleep preventing them from enjoying a good night’s rest (Tom, 2009). An increase of appetite is also a common sign for those going through withdrawal; this is because as mentioned earlier, one of the medical uses of cocaine is to act as an appetite suppressant; thus, once a person stops taking the drug there appetite returns as a result, sometimes with increased vigor. Another symptom of cocaine withdrawal is the experiencing of bouts of depression that lead to the individual having frequent mood swings on a daily basis. Of all the symptoms experienced, this can be the most dangerous, and one has to be careful when dealing with an individual who is suffering from depression as they may have suicidal tendencies. This is whereby an individual may feel that their life is just not worth living anymore and is tempted to commit suicide as a solution to all their problems (Volpe, 2008). This tendency may be brought about by the individual thinking of all the bad deeds they may have done to support their habit and the lack of the drug to ease their guilt only compounds their feelings thus leading them to result to extreme solutions such as killing themselves. Apart from changes in behavior brought about by the physical and psychological effects that the use of cocaine has on an individual, there are also a number of behavioral changes that occur because of the use of cocaine that have social effects on an individual (Feiling, 2009). Some of these effects include the decrease of social interaction with others as the individual is only keen to hang out with people who will enable their habit such as drug peddlers and fellow users (Volpe, 2008). This may lead to the individual changing the friends that they originally had as they no longer have things in common with them as all they think about is the maintenance of their habit. One may also develop other habits such as stealing and other illegal activities so as to be able to afford their addiction. References Aronson, J. K (2008). "Cocaine". Meyler's Side Effects of Psychiatric Drugs. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science. Doweiko, H. E (2008). Concepts of Chemical Dependency. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. Goldberg, R. (2009). "Cocaine amphetamines". Drugs Across the Spectrum. Pacific Grove: Brooks Cole. Feiling, T. (2009). The Candy Machine: How Cocaine Took Over the World. London: Penguin. Semple, D. (2005). Oxford Hand Book of Psychiatry. New York, NY: Oxford Press. Volpe, J. J. (2008). "Teratogenic effects of drugs and passive addiction". Neurology of the Newborn. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders. Yaffe, S. J., Briggs, G. G & Freeman, R.A. (2008). "Cocaine". Drugs in Pregnancy And Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Read More